Centre Emmaus is situated on Kiriri hill, five kilometers from the City of Bujumbura, near the shores of Lake Tanganyika. The Centre was founded in 1984, and has been in operation with since then except for a brief interruption between 1987 and 1988 when the government of Burundi expelled all Catholic missionaries.
Today, the Centre counts three Jesuits assisted by three sisters of the Bene-Tereziya congregation and a team of ten lay collaborators. The Centre comprises 40 guest rooms, three halls, a dining hall and two chapels. It offers recollections in Kirundi and French, guided retreats, and workshops on Ignatian spirituality. Four times in a year, the centre offers Spiritual Exercises one in French and three in Kirundi.
It is possible, however, to have an individually directed retreat throughout the year. During Christmas and Easter seasons, the Centre organizes special gatherings such as Days of prayer and training for youth, targeting particularly those discerning their vocation.